Combination-type golf club cleaner of removing extraneous substances on golf club

ABSTRACT

A combination-type golf club cleaner is provided. A combination-type golf club cleaner includes a body, and a panel attached to the body to remove extraneous substances remaining on a head of a golf club, the panel made of a material capable of generating frictional force or a coarse synthetic material.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2008-0009980, filed on Jul. 25, 2008 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following description relates to a sports product, and more particularly, to a golf club cleaner.

BACKGROUND

The number of people who play golf is increasing both at home and abroad. Since golf may depend less on a player's physical conditions, as compared to, for example, soccer, basketball, or volleyball, popularity of golf is rising. Also, since golf is not an extreme sport, golf may be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age and sex.

Typically, a golf club used to play golf includes a head for hitting a golf ball, a shaft, and a grip. Generally, golf clubs may be classified into wood, iron, putter, etc., having different uses, based on the shapes of their heads and materials of which the heads are made.

A golf head, which contacts a golf ball directly when a player hits the golf ball with the golf club, is easy to be covered by extraneous substances, such as grass, dirt, etc., from the ground. In such cases, due to the extraneous substances, the golf club may be damaged and the player may have difficulties in taking a correct shot.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, according to an aspect, there is provided a combination-type golf club cleaner which removes water, dirt, grass, etc., from a head of a golf club.

The combination-type golf club cleaner may easily remove water, grass, dirt, etc., remaining or clung to a head groove of the golf club without damaging the head of the golf club. By removing water, grass, dirt, dust, etc., from the head groove of the golf club, it may be possible to maintain the golf club in an optimal state and allow a player to take a correct shot.

The combination-type golf club cleaner may be attached onto a user's waistband or onto a golf bag, etc., and accordingly, a player may carry the combination-type golf club cleaner conveniently.

According to another aspect, there is provided a combination-type golf club cleaner comprising a body, and a panel attached to the body to remove extraneous substances remaining on a head of a golf club, the panel made of a material capable of generating frictional force or a coarse synthetic material.

The panel may be in a shape of a brush or in a shape of a hook.

The combination-type golf club cleaner may further comprise an adhesive part detachably attaching the panel to the body.

The combination-type golf club cleaner may further comprise a hole formed in a side of the body, and a rim metal formed along a circumference of the hole.

An upper portion of the body may have a width narrower than that of a lower portion of the body.

The combination-type golf club cleaner may further comprise a predetermined number of fasteners at predetermined locations on the upper portion of the body, the predetermined number of fasteners may detachably attach to each other. The fastener may be a snap fastener or a Velcro-type fastener.

The body may be made of a soft cotton material to absorb water remaining on the head of the golf club, and the panel may be made of a material capable of generating frictional force, a coarse metal or a synthetic material to remove extraneous substances, such as dirt or grass.

Other features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a combination-type golf club cleaner for removing extraneous substances from a head of a golf club, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 2A through 2D are cross-sectional views of panels according to exemplary embodiments, each of which may used in the combination-type golf club cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a combination-type golf club cleaner according to another exemplary embodiment, which is implemented by detachably attaching one of the panels illustrated in FIGS. 2A through 2D to a body.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are front views of combination-type golf club cleaners according to exemplary embodiments.

Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, apparatuses and/or methods described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted to increase clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 illustrates a combination-type golf club cleaner 1 for removing extraneous substances from a head of a golf club (not shown), according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 comprises a body 20, and a panel 10 attached to the body 20. The panel 10 removes grass, dirt, etc., remaining clung to the head of the golf club, is made of a material generating frictional force, a coarse metal, or synthetic resins.

The head of the golf club may be easy to be covered by grass, dirt, etc, when a player plays golf with the golf club. Such grass, dirt, etc., damage the head of the golf club, and are obstacles to the player's correct shot. Accordingly, the player has to often remove the grass, dirt, etc., remaining clung to the head of the golf club with a brush and towel.

For example, an intaglio groove may be engraved on a hitting surface of the head of the golf club. The groove acts to increase deformation energy of a golf ball when the player hits the golf ball with the head of the golf club, and prevent the golf ball from slipping, thereby increasing a driving distance. An iron head of a golf club may be designed considering all the shape, position, depth, etc., of a groove to conserve energy to be transferred to a golf ball and optimize the location of a hitting point upon a swing, thereby contributing a player to take a correct iron shot.

However, such a golf club head may allow extraneous substances, such as grass or dirt, to be accumulated in its groove during repetitive swing movements, which may prevent a player from finding a correct impact position. For example, since a sole part of a golf club may contact the ground, a golf ball hit by the golf club meets with resistance when the golf ball contacts the sole part covered by the extraneous substances. The resistance influences a driving distance, the direction of the golf ball, etc., resulting in a potential miss shot.

Furthermore, when a player hits a golf ball, the golf ball is instantaneously worn and the worn powder of the golf ball may be accumulated in the groove of the club head. For example, when a player takes an iron shot with a golf club, a groove engraved on a hitting surface of the club head produces strong friction force with the golf ball to thus put a spin on the golf ball, and at this time, the golf ball is worn and the worn powders of the golf ball may be accumulated in the groove of the club head. Also, due to repetitive swing movements, particles, such as dirt, sands or grass, may be accumulated into the groove of the club head. As such, if extraneous substances are accumulated in the groove engraved in the club head, impact characteristic between the golf ball and the hitting surface of the club head may deteriorate, which influences the direction of a spin or backspin.

For these reason, golf players often carry a brush and towel to remove such extraneous substance from their club heads. That is, a player may carry both a brush and towel to remove the extraneous substances accumulated into the groove of his or her club head and remove dust and/or water on the club head, which is inconvenient. Also, although a player may wipe the club head with a towel, dust may remain on the club head or the club head may be damaged due to strong rubbing force.

Referring to FIG. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment, a combination-type golf club cleaner 1 may be used to remove grass or dirt remaining in the groove of the club head using the panel 10, and remove fine particles and water remaining on the club head using the body 20. Accordingly, extraneous substances from both on the club head and in the groove of the club head may be removed. In order to remove extraneous substances in the groove of the club head, the panel 10 may be made of a coarse metal having strong friction force or a synthetic resin material. In another aspect, the panel 10 may be in the shape of a brush or hook. Further details of the panel 10 will be given with reference to FIGS. 2A through 2D.

According to an aspect, the panel 10 may be a coarse synthetic resin material, for example, a polyamide synthetic material. The polyamide synthetic material may be nylon having abrasion resistance and oil resistance. Accordingly, the panel 10 may not be easily worn out by rubbing and may be poof against oil. The panel 10 having these characteristics may easily remove extraneous substances from the club head, without damaging the club head. According to another aspect, the panel 10 may be a metal material. According to still another aspect, the panel 10 may be made of a material capable of generating friction force or a coarse synthetic material.

The body 20 may be used to wipe off water or light dust remaining on the club head. For example, the body 20 may be used to wipe a head face or bottom of the golf club or to remove a detergent remaining on the golf club after washing the golf club. According to an aspect, the body 20 may be terry fabrics used in towels, that is, fabrics whose one side or both sides have ring-shaped fluffs.

As described above, the body 20 may be made of a soft material to wipe off water or light dust, and the panel 10 attached to the body 20 may be made of a coarse material capable of generating strong friction force to easily remove dirt or grass remaining in the groove of the club head. According to an exemplary embodiment, the body 20 and panel 10, which are made of different materials, are integrated into a single body. Accordingly, water, dirt, etc., from the club head may be removed more conveniently. By removing water, dirt, etc., from in the groove of the club head, the golf club may be maintained in an optimal state, which may contribute a player to take a correct shot.

FIGS. 2A through 2D illustrate panels according to various exemplary embodiments, each of which may be used in the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 2A through 2D, the panels 10 a, 10 b, 10 c and 10 d used in a combination-type golf club cleaner may be in the shape of a hook or brush. Referring to FIG. 2A, the panel 10 a may include a brush 100 a and a brush base 110. Here, the brush 100 a is bound into several bundles. The brush 100 a is attached to the brush base 110 in such a manner that several bundles of brush hairs, each tied up, are fixed at regular intervals to the brush base 110. Each bundle of brush hairs extends outward against the brush base 110. The brush base 110 may be in the shape of a series of cylinders, which are adhered to a body of the combination-type golf club cleaner.

In the panel 10 b, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the brush hairs of a brush 100 b extend at regular intervals from the body 20 in a direction, not being bound into several bundles as shown in FIG. 2A.

The panel 10 c, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, has ring-shaped fluffs made of a coarse synthetic material. In this case, a brush 100 c of the panel 10 c has hairs thicker than those of the brushes 100 a and 100 b. The panel 10d, as illustrated in FIG. 2D, has a brush 100d which is in the shape of a hook.

FIG. 3 illustrates a combination-type golf club cleaner 1 according to another exemplary embodiment, which is implemented by detachably attaching one of the panels illustrated in FIGS. 2A through 2D to a body.

Referring to FIG. 3, the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 comprises an adhesive part 12 which detachably attaches a panel 10 to a body 20. The adhesive part 12 may be an adhesive or an adhesive tape. According to an aspect, hooks or brush hairs may be directly inserted and/or fixed into the body 20. Returning to FIG. 3, the adhesive part 12 may be a double sided tape. As another illustration, the adhesive part 12, as illustrated in FIG. 3, may be a Velcro-type fastener. By utilizing the adhesive part 12, the panel 10 may be attached to or detached from the body 20.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate combination-type golf club cleaners according to exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a combination-type golf club cleaner la, in which a panel 10 is attached to a body 20, may be hung on a projecting part, etc. The combination-type golf club cleaner 1 a includes a hole 30 with a rim metal 32 along its circumference. A user may hang the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 a on a golf bag, etc., allowing the combination-type golf club 1 a to be easily accessible.

Referring to FIG. 4B, a combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b includes a snap fastener 40 a. The upper portion of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b is in the shape of a square having a width narrower than that of the lower portion of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b. The shape of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b may be designed to hang it on a user's waistband or on a golf bag.

For example, by contacting a concave and convex parts of the snap fastener 40 a after inserting the upper portion (that is, the portion having the narrow width) of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b between the user's waist and the user's waistband, the user may easily carry the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b. When the user wants to remove water or dirt from the head of a golf club, he or she may utilize the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b by opening the snap fastener 40 a, and after removing water or dirt from the head of the golf club, he or she may hang the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b on the user's waistband, etc., using the snap fastener 40 a.

Referring to FIG. 4C, a combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c includes a Velcro 40 b. Like the shape of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 b, the upper portion of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c may be in the shape of a square having a width narrower than that of the lower portion of the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c.

For example, the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c is hung on a user's waistband by sticking the Velcro 40 b together. When a user wants to remove water or dirt from the head of a golf club, he or she utilizes the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c by taking off the Velcro 40 b, and after removing water or dirt from the head of the golf club, he or she may hang the combination-type golf club cleaner 1 c on the user's waistband, etc., using the Velcro 40 b.

According to certain embodiment above, water and dirt may be more conveniently from a head of a golf club. Using a combination-type golf club cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment, water may be removed using soft fabrics, etc, and dirt or grass, etc., may be removed using a coarse material capable of generating strong friction force. Therefore, a player need not to carry both a brush and a towel, and accordingly. Since the combination-type golf club cleaner may be hung on a user's waistband or on a golf bag, etc., added convenience may be provided with less likelihood of being misplaced.

A number of exemplary embodiments have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A combination-type golf club cleaner comprising: a body; and a panel attached to the body to remove extraneous substances remaining on a head of a golf club, the panel made of a material capable of generating frictional force or a coarse synthetic material.
 2. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, wherein the panel is in a shape of a brush.
 3. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, wherein the panel is in a shape of a hook.
 4. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, wherein the panel is made of a metal.
 5. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive part detachably attaching the panel to the body.
 6. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a hole formed in a side of the body; and a rim metal formed along a circumference of the hole.
 7. The combination-type golf club cleaner of claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the body has a width narrower than that of a lower portion of the body, and the combination-type golf club cleaner further comprises a predetermined number of fasteners at predetermined locations on the upper portion of the body, the predetermined number of fasteners detachably attached to each other. 